Kala-azar

Kala-azar, also called Visceral leishmaniasis, is the most severe form of leishmaniasis and, without proper diagnosis and treatment, is associated with high fatality.
Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania.
It is transmitted through the bite of sand flies.
Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease affecting almost 100 countries including India.
There are three main forms of leishmaniasis
1. Visceral, which affects multiple organs and is the most serious form of the disease
2. Cutaneous, which causes skin sores and is the most common form
3. Mucocutaneous, which causes skin and mucosal lesion
Visceral leishmaniasis, which is commonly known as Kala-azar in India, is fatal in over 95% of the cases, if left untreated.

The only drug available against leishmaniasis, miltefosine, is rapidly losing its effectiveness because of emerging resistance to this drug due to a decrease in its accumulation inside the parasite, which is necessary for the drug to kill the parasite.

A team of researchers have found new biomolecules to fight drug resistance in Kala-azar.

Kala azar is largely endemic to four states in India – Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh.
Due to the increasing problem of Kala-azar, Government of India (GOI) launched a centrally sponsored Kala-azar control programme in the endemic states in the year 1990-91.
The Government of India is directly working with development partners such as Bill Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) to eliminate Kala Azar from India.
National roadmap for Kala-azar elimination has been circulated to states with goals, objectives, strategies, timelines with activities and functions at appropriate levels.
This document has been developed for focused intervention at national, state, district and sub-district and village levels.

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